Experiments about the influences by ocean acidification of harpacticoid copepods inhabiting in the tropical seas

Abstract

In the subsequent 200 years after the industrial revolution, the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere has dramatically increased from 280 ppm to 380 ppm due to human activity (Feely et al., 2004). Recent climate change models predict that with the current increasing rate of CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, the CO2 concentration of the ocean surface will increase to 1,000&#8211 1550 ppm by the year 2100. Accordingly, the number of studies that examine the effect of ocean acidification on marine life has increased in recent times. Especially, the tropical seas are known to be vulnerable to the climate change and ocean acidification. However, studies on invertebrates are insufficient as most of the objects have been limited to coral reef and fish. Some published studies of invertebrates are limited to macrobenthos such as mussel Mytilus spp. or sea urchins, with a lack of studies on smaller meiofaunas such as meiobenthos. Harpacticoid copepod is one of the most dominant classes of the meiobenthos along with nematodes, which inhabit various places, from the deep-ocean to the coast. Also, they are indicator species that react very sensitively to environmental changes and pollutant sources. The objectives of this study are to investigate the impacts of benthic ecosystem by ocean acidification using Harpacticoid copepod as an experimental organism and to compare the response to ocean acidification odels predict that with the current increasing rate of CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, the CO2 concentration of the ocean surface will increase to 1,000&#8211 1550 ppm by the year 2100. Accordingly, the number of studies that examine the effect of ocean acidification on marine life has increased in recent times. Especially, the tropical seas are known to be vulnerable to the climate change and ocean acidification. However, studies on invertebrates are insufficient as most of the objects have been limited to coral reef and fish. Some published studies of invertebrates are limited to macrobenthos such as mussel Mytilus spp. or sea urchins, with a lack of studies on smaller meiofaunas such as meiobenthos. Harpacticoid copepod is one of the most dominant classes of the meiobenthos along with nematodes, which inhabit various places, from the deep-ocean to the coast. Also, they are indicator species that react very sensitively to environmental changes and pollutant sources. The objectives of this study are to investigate the impacts of benthic ecosystem by ocean acidification using Harpacticoid copepod as an experimental organism and to compare the response to ocean acidification o